1272 CARDUACEAE 



narrowly elliptic, 1-3 dm. long, acuminate at both ends, serrate : heads not showy : invo- 

 lucres flattish ; bracts narrowly linear : ray-flowers wanting : disks about 1 cm. broad : 

 corollas white, 4 mm. long : achenes elliptic-obovate, 5 mm. long, winged or wingless : 

 pappus of 3-4 awns with smaller ones commonly interposed, or scales in their places. 

 In alluvial soil, South Carolina to Florida and Louisiana. 



101. VERBESINA L. 



Perennial caulescent herbs or shrubby plants. Leaves alternate or opposite ; blades 

 simple, flat, entire or toothed, more or less decurrent on the stem. Heads several or nu- 

 merous, radiate or discoid. Involucres hemispheric or campanulate : bracts imbricated in 

 few series, narrow, somewhat appressed. Receptacle convex or conic, chaffy. Ray-flowers 

 neutral or fruit-producing : ligules white or yellow, rather inconspicuous, or wanting. 

 Disk -flowers perfect, mostly fruit-producing, embraced by the bractlets. Anthers obtuse 

 at the base. Stigmas of the disk with papillose appendages. Achenes various ; those of 

 of the ray 3-angled ; those of the disk flattened, winged or wingless. Pappus of 1-3 awns 

 which are sometimes accompanied by as many scales. CROTC:NBEARD. 



Involucres campanulate, 4-6 mm. broad. 



Leaves alternate : ray-flowers with white ligules. 

 Leaf-blades undulate, sinuate or serrate. 



Involucres about 6 mm. high : leaf-blades acute or acuminate, usually fully thrice as long as 



broad. 1. V. Virginica. 



Involucres about 4 mm. high : leaf-blades blunt, usually less than twice as 



long as broad. 2. V, Texana. 



Leaf-blades pinnatifid or pinnately lobed. 3. V. laciniata. 



Leaves opposite : ray-flowers with yellow ligules. 4. V. occidentalis. 



Involucres hemispheric, 12-15 mm. broad. 

 Stems winged by the decurrent leaves. 



Leaf-blades hirsute beneath : stems leafy to the inflorescence. 5. V. helianthoides. 



Leaf-blades hispidulous beneath : stem sparingly scaly above the middle. 6. V. heterophyUa. 



Stems not winged. 



Foliage scabrous : leaf-blades shallowly toothed : involucres 10 mm. high. 7. V. pauciflora. 

 Foliage hirsute or hispid : leaf-blades coarsely toothed : involucres 5-6 mm. 



high. 8. V. arUtata. 



1. Verbesina Virginica L. Stems 6-18 dm. tall, tomentulose or puberulent, branch- 

 ing above, more or less prominently winged. Leaves alternate ; blades membranous, lan- 

 ceolate to oval or ovate, 0.5-2 dm. long, acute or acuminate, serrate or nearly entire, nar- 

 rowed into winged -petioles : heads corymbose : involucres about 6 mm. high, narrowly 

 campanulate or cylindric ; bracts linear, erect ; ligules of the ray-flowers white, oval, 4-7 

 mm. long : disk-corollai pubescent : achenes oblong-obovate, 3 mm. long, ciliate : pappus- 

 awns very slender, often as long as the achene. 



In dry soil, Pennsylvania to Missouri, Florida and Texas. Summer. 



2. Verbesina Texana Buckl. Stems 4-11 dm. tall, tomentulose, winged, branching. 

 Leaves alternate ; blades thickish, ovate, oval, elliptic or lanceolate, 0.5-1 dm. long, ob- 

 tuse or acute, repand, on broadly winged petioles : heads corymbose : involucres about 4 

 mm. high, broadly campanulate, or flattish ; bracts linear, oblong-linear, or slightly broad- 

 ened upward, mostly ootuse ; ligules of the ray-flowers white, oval, about 2 mm. long : 

 disk-corollas glabrous : achenes clavate in outline, and obcordate by the broad wings, 4 mm. 

 long, with 2 subulate pappus-awns. 



In sandy soil, Texas and adjacent Mexico. 



3. Verbesina laciniata (Poir:) Nutt. Stems 7-16 dm. tall, tomentulose, winged or 

 ridged. Leaves alternate ; blades pinnately incised, lobed or parted, 0.5-2 dm. Jong, the 

 segments repand or entire ; petioles winged : heads not showy : involucres narrowly 

 campanulate ; bracts linear, acute or acutish, often minutely pubescent : ligules of the ray- 

 flowers white, oval, 4 mm. long : disk-corollas glabrous. 



In sandy soil, South Carolina to Florida. Summer. 



4. Verbesina occidentalis (L.) Walt. Stems 9-20 dm. tall, smooth and glabrous or 

 minutely pubescent, winged above, like the branches : leaves opposite ; blades ovate to 

 oblong-lanceolate, 5-20 cm. long, acuminate, serrate, abruptly and cuneately narrowed at 

 the base ; petioles winged : involucral bracts few, lax, linear or slightly broadened upward, 

 4-8 mm. long; ligules of the ray -flowers linear, 1-1.5 cm. long: achenes oblong-obovate, 

 5 mm. long, pubescent, with 2 ascending or spreading pappus-awns. 



On hillsides and in thickets, Pennsylvania to Illinois and Florida. Summer and fall. 



5. Verbesina helianthoides Michx. Stems 5-10 dm. tall, finely pubescent, spar- 

 ingly branched, leafly to the inflorescence, winged. Leaves mostly alternate ; blades 

 lanceolate to elliptic, 412 cm. long, acute or acuminate, serrate, hirsute beneath, sessile 



